1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to safety apparatus for use with sheaves and pulleys. More particularly, the present invention relates to a safety apparatus that prevents fingers from entering into an area adjacent to the sheave or pulley. Additionally, the present invention relates to a safety apparatus that can be mounted to the sheave or pulley and which is adaptable to the various orientations of the cable extending from the sheave or pulley.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Pulleys and sheaves are used in a wide variety of offshore operations. In certain circumstances, the sheaves or pulleys can be supported from an overhead position so as to facilitate the ability to lift an object from a location so as to move the object to another location. In other circumstances, the pulleys or sheaves may extend in a horizontal orientation adjacent to a floor. In this configuration, the pulleys and/or sheaves can be utilized so as to adjustably position an object on the floor. During the use of such pulleys and sheaves, the operators will typically manipulate a line by pulling oil the line. The use of the pulleys and sheaves facilitates the ability, by way of mechanical advantage, to direct an object to another location. Typically, operators will wear gloves while manipulating the line that extends over the pulley.
In some or certain circumstances, the worker associated with such pulleys may move their hands very close to the actual pulley. If the gloved hand should move too close to the pulley, there is a possibility of the glove being caught in the area between the line and the pulley. This can draw the worker's hand into the pulley. Under such circumstances, finger severing or impalement can occur. As such, a need has developed so as to pro vide a safety apparatus that effectively prevents the worker from ever encountering the situation where his or her fingers are drawn into the pulley.
As used herein, the term “sheave” can refer to a block, a pulley, or combinations thereof. The term “pulley” and “sheave” are used interchangeably herein. Additionally, the term “line” can refer to ropes, wire ropes, cords, cables and belts.
It is important to note that the operation of sheaves and pulleys can cause the line to extend at various angles. Under certain circumstances, there will be a relatively wide angle between the portions of the line that extend between the worker and the object to be manipulated. In other circumstances, the line will extend generally adjacent to the object to be manipulated. As such, any safety apparatus would have to be adaptable to the various orientations of line that are required in the particular applications.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to safety and protection devices for use with sheaves and pulleys.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 968,304, issued on Aug. 23, 1910 to G. H. Winslow, describes a pulley guard. This pulley guard includes a shield in the form of a disc or plate having an upper portion provided with a slot terminating in an enlarged aperture to receive and lock over a headed stud or support. The disc or plate has a lower portion that covers the rotary member and is provided with a slot to slidingly engage the shaft of the rotary member. There is an aperture above the slot to afford access to the rotary member. A means is provided for adjusting and locking the plate in different positions on the support.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,175,065, issued on Mar. 14, 1916 to H. Kotten, provides a shaft and pulley guard. In particular, there is shaft guard, a means for vertically adjusting and supporting the shaft guard, a pulley guard formed in sections and having an interlocking engagement with one portion of the shaft guard, and a means for supporting and relatively adjusting the pulley guard sections transversely.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,820,322, issued on Aug. 25, 1931 to B. L. Polkosnik, teaches a pulley guard and banger. This pulley guard and hanger is stamped from a single piece of sheet metal so as to present a central bar member having extensions reaching in opposite directions at right angles from its ends. The bar is bent to produce an open loop extending outwardly. The extensions are looped to encompass the sides of the pulley. The free ends of the side loops are overlapped and secured to the junction of the connected ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,473, Sep. 19, 1978 to H. M. Pollak, describes guard for belt pulley. The guard includes a top wall for overlying a portion of the pulley's side face between the nips of the belt and the pulley. A side wall is connected to the top wall and extending generally at right angles therefrom. The guard has three projections on the side wall with each projection terminating in an arcuate end face juxtaposed to the inner diameter of one of the grooves of the pulley. Each arcuate end face on the projections has a center of curvature corresponding to the axis of rotation of the pulley. A mounting means is connected to one of the walls for mounting the walls in a position so that each of the projections enters one of the pulley grooves and one projection occupies substantially all the pulley grooves that are unoccupied by the belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,064, issued on Feb. 13, 1979 to D. R. Dobberpuhl, provides a belt guard for a rotary tiller. The guard encloses the belt and has its forward end pivotally supported on a bracket fixed to the engine by a fastener which also serves to retain a belt guide in place. The rear end of the belt guard is supported for swinging about the forward connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,855, issued on Mar. 10, 1987 to Palloch et al., discloses a belt guard for industrial sewing machines which includes a cover made of two cover halves that can be clasped together. The cover extensively covers a V-belt pulley part.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,656, issued on Apr. 17, 1990 to Sato et al., provides a rear belt guard for use in a sewing machine. The guard member is fixed to the table for covering a rear portion of a belt of the belt device that is exposed on the table. The guard member has an inclined wall upper portion provided with a notched recess for receiving the belt when the head is turned rearwardly. A cover member is openable and slidable over the notched recess. The cover member is urged by a spring in as direction to be closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,343, issued on Jan. 19, 1993 to M. A. Reed, discloses a pulley guard apparatus that can be mounted to an interior surface of projecting flanges mounted on the pulley structure. Arcuate discs are arranged in confrontation in an edge-to-edge relationship with outer edges of the first and second pulley flanges preventing the binding and abrasion of a pulley belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,848, issued on Oct. 31, 1995 to L. Anthony, provides as mower pulley guard for covering a wheel pulley. A semi-circular panel is positionable over the wheel pulley of the mower. A pair of lateral panels extend from opposed ends of the semi-circular panel and cooperate with a pair of mounting projections to secure the semi-circular panel to a pulley housing of the mower. The device cooperates with a cover plate of the mower to fully enclose the wheel pulley to preclude an entrance of debris into the pulley housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,796, issued on Sep. 28, 1999 to V. McLean, provides a belt guard having a main rear wall with two slots for engaging over a pair of shafts of the pump jack at the drive belt on the pulleys on the drive shafts. The rear cover portion includes a peripheral wall extending around the sides and top of the peripheral edge with the bottom of the cover panel being opened. A front panel portion fits over the rear cover panel with a lip engaging onto the peripheral wall to which it is secured.
U.S. Design Patent No. D540,256, issued on Apr. 10, 2007 to J. R. Bullock., Jr describes a belt guard which includes a first housing that is hingedly connected to a second housing. Hinge pins can be utilized so as to fix the housings into a closed position.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/650,393 is very effective in promoting the hand safety of users of such sheaves. This application describes a safety apparatus that has a sheave with a surface extending circumferentially therearound, a first housing interconnected to the sheave, a second housing interconnected to the sheave and pivotally mounted to the first housing, and a line extending over the surface of the sheave and through the interior of each of the first and second housings. Each of the first and second housings has a hole formed at an end thereof opposite the sheave. The line has a first portion extending through the hole of the first housing and a second portion extending through the hole of the second housing. Bushings are respectively received within the holes of the housings.
With this prior hand safety protection apparatus, it was found that there were certain difficulties. Importantly, in order to install this hand safety protection apparatus, it was necessary to remove the center shaft of the sheave This created certain difficulties in installation. Additionally, it was necessary to thread the cable through each of the bushings so as to allow for the proper installation of the hand safety protection apparatus. Additionally, the manufacturing of the hand safety protection apparatus of this application was somewhat difficult.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety device for sheaves and pulleys that effectively prevents impaling or severing of fingers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety device for use with sheaves and pulleys which does not interfere with the standard operation of the pulley, sheave or block.
It is another object of the present invention to provide as safety apparatus for use with sheaves and pulleys which is adaptable to various angles and orientations of the line with respect to the pulley.
It is another object of the present invention provide a safety apparatus which avoids the removal of the center shaft of the sheave.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus that is adaptable over the existing sheave head and nut.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus that avoids any interference with mid-line attachment.
It is another object of the present invention provide a safety apparatus which avoids the need for offset legs.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide as safety apparatus in which the construction utilizes identical components.
It is a further object of the present invention provide as safety apparatus in which the design is easily scalable to the various configurations of sheaves.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus that is extremely light.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus that allows for cosign compensation of the centerline of the cable relative to the sheave yoke track.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus that is easy-to-use, easy to manufacture, easy to install and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.